Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-10-22


once. as was a-telling We. and they
won't calc'late on doing it again.
Tell We about it if you like. Twas
kind O. scaly times for Gowan an me,
but there was heap o fun in it,
too"
OF course we were only too glad to
listen to his account
at was Jest about year ago now."
he said. 'when Ed Gowan an me was
keepin' the ranch alone, while the
other three boys-there' gener'lly five
of us stay here-was up river a-helpn'
a new lot o steers just druv in from
Texas.
There wasn't nobody along the
river a-thinkin' of Injun trouble then,
an as for Ed an me, we hadn't seen
one for nigh year. We stayed close
round the ranch here though. for
week after the boys went off Then we
began to feel mighty restless.
Then, too, we was expectin' the
boys back ev'ry hour. We calc'lated
'wouldent be no harm to leave the
ranch for half days hunt We was
tired O. beef and bacon, an we knew
where to 60 to find plenty of ante
lope.
1--WE saddled our ponies. an struck
out that afternoon. We rode up into
the rock country bout II miles north
o here. 'moung the big canyons an
cuts. an we found plenty Of antelope.
We killed five by dark. but by this time
we could gather their saddles an pack
our extra horses. which we'd took two.
an get back to the ranch. it was nigh
daylight next morning.
THE boys hadn't come, so. rs we
was mighty tired an hungry an sleepy,
we turned our ponies in with the other
stock in the big corral, and got us some
breakfast; then we piled onto couple
of hunks and was soon sleepin'
IL was woke up by a punch in the
ribs, an when I'd come to myself
'nough to git my eyes rubbed open, 1
saw that there was half dozen naked,
greasy Cheyennes in the room, stand
ing around a-grinnin' at US. saw,
too. that Ed was awake, an that they
had gathered up all our shootin' irons.
and that we was both pris' 'ners in our
own shanty.
Il needn't tell We that we both felt
mighty foolish and badly scared, though
we put on as bold face as we could.
Ed was the bravest though. and the
coolest He'd been trapeze perform
er along with Montgomery Queens big
show. He was all muscles an siners.
up to all sorts of tricks. and as spry as
cat.
| "Waal, sir, soon rs Ed saw how
, twas, he reached out his hand to the
nearest buck an says, says e: How
, do, brudderp'
"'Howp' says the Injun. an all Of
: 'em grunted and grinned.
, "But Jest then there was a terrible
commotion and a-yellin' outside. an
3 two or three of the Injuns rushed out
4 The others wanted to see the rumpus
, too, 'xpect, for they turned to us. ant
r motioned us out of the door. We 60
up and walked out. with an Injun il
n front an two behind us. AS we go
) out the door we heard frightful yell
r in outside the stockade. There wa
six or seven Cheyennes dancin' ant
Q screechin' like they'd gone plum
= crazy. But the biggist fun was goin
on inside the stock corral, and we sool
/ saw that the dancin' bucks was a-laugh
II in, though you'd never guess at tha
/, by Jest listenin' to 'em.
70 you see. one of their fellows, think
If in of course he'd have an easy job, ha
rode into the corral to drive out tn
e stock.-there was thirteen ridin' ponie
n and three or four colts. But there wa
o customer in there that the Cheyenn
D; hadn't reckoned on. 1t was big jacl
n Jest the ugliest. orneriest critter eve
r you set eyes on. He never lowed an
]. stranger inside that corral if he coul
1t help it, an he gently could. an th'
=. was one reason we KEEP him.
ut "Wal. he'd got after Mr.. Cheyenn
,e an he was goin'for him most savagel.
tx "When we first saw the race. ii
IN Injun was clear upon his pony's necl
a-clinging for dear life, and the JAG
nr was right up alongside. with his jaw
tn wide open. The Cheyenne had 10
IN hold O. his reins. an was jest hangil
,e over on the opposite side of the horse
,h neck, an there they was, goin' roun
a and round, the jack a-grabbin' ar
~ bitin' at the Injun. an a-brayin' a
re suuealn' till you could heerd him
ht mile. An the best of it all was, tn
the m Cheyenne outside all seemed
OF think it was the biggest kind of fun.
yh Talk about an Injun's not laughir
be why, fellows. they busted their throat
They clapped their hands onto the
Is stomachs. an doubled up like ja'
of knives. Ed and me laughed too. dor
;" believe we could "a helped it if we
an known they'd kill us the next minute
er but matters soon begun to get pre-
n ty SER Gus inside the corral; the lnj'
he darsn't git of his pony. for he cou